Gandy Elementary School uses Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum, Third Edition. It is designed to promote social competence and to reduce children's social-emotional problems. The curriculum teaches students several skills central to healthy social-emotional development: Empathy, impulse control, problem solving and anger management.

In addition, all grades are included in lessons on Career Awareness and Substance Abuse Prevention at various times of the school year.

Some examples of second grade classroom guidance lessons are:

* Overview of basic concepts of empathy: recognizing feelings, taking others' perspectives, and responding empathically to others

* Asking for help in a respectful way

* Joining a group

* Dealing with criticism

* Dealing with being left out

* Recognizing others' rights and offering fair solutions to a problem

* Dealing with consequences